COVID-19 has been met with a global “tele” response as industries grasp for ways to stay operational amid the shutdown. Workers telecommute, friends telesocialize, and doctors lean on telehealth to remotely connect with patients. Dentists find themselves uniquely limited in the teleworld, since patient care typically requires hands-on techniques. “if you need a filling, you still need to go see a dentist face to face,” says Dr. Christine May, an Australian-based clinician and founder of the teledentistry marketplace ViDe. “We haven’t worked out how to do that via remote consult robotics yet. I’m sure in ten years we might, but we’re not there yet,” she chuckles, later adding “I really feel that teledentistry is going to disrupt the way we’ve been doing dental care to date.”

There remains a growing belief among clinicians that obturation is to blame for endodontic failures. This notion has more recently fallen under scrutiny as researchers have discovered that the most thorough obturation can only reflect the quality of the cleaning and shaping of the canal. In fact, a number of researchers point to the thorough use of irrigants—making sure that the debris, and irrigant itself is lifted completely out of the canal, not forced out the apex—as the most important determinant in the long-term success of an endodontic procedure. The right irrigants, when used properly, eliminate harmful microorganisms and bacteria in the root and tubules, and prevent recontamination, even long after the RCT (root canal therapy) is complete. The recently acknowledged vital role of irrigants stands to reason, as RCT itself was born out of the necessity to treat the infected, and very often painful, dentinal tubules and roots that traditional restorative dentistry couldn't address.

Ideal for removing superficial white and brown decalcification stains due to enamel mottling from fluorosis, Opalustre 6.6% hydrochloric acid slurry contains silicon carbide microparticles. This combination provides chemical stain removal along with gentle mechanical abrasion. Opalustre, along with OpalCups, can be used to quickly remove unsightly enamel decalcification defects that are less than 0.2mm in depth.

Three words come to mind when describing world renowned dentist and lecturer Dr. John Graeber: progressive, passionate, and expert.

If you’ve ever logged onto Pinterest or any other social media platform, you’ve no doubt seen some of the many trends, tricks, and recipes for easy, cheap, "do-it-yourself teeth whitening” treatments.